Five finalists have been selected in the search to head the Durango Police Department.
The public will have a chance to meet the applicants from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Durango Community Recreation Center. The city will provide forms for the public to comment on the five applicants.
“Anybody from the community who wants to meet the candidates can come, and hopefully some of the various community leaders who are most interested will be there,” said City Manager Ron LeBlanc.
The candidates – all men with 24 to 30-plus years experience in law enforcement – were selected from 48 applicants. None of the finalists currently resides in Colorado.
The candidates are: Kamran Afzal, of Arlington, Virginia, with more than 25 years experience; Brian Churchill, of Indianapolis, Indiana, with about 24 years experience; Joe H. Ellenburg, of McKinney, Texas, with about 24 years experience; Jerry Litzau, of Bellevue, Washington, with more than 30 years experience; and Chris Sutter, of Vancouver, Washington, with 30 years experience.
The new chief will replace Jim Spratlen, who retired Sept. 30. The city hired Lynn Johnson, a retired police official from Arvada, to serve as interim police chief.
The top end salary for the new chief is about $135,000.
In an earlier interview, LeBlanc said he’s looking for someone with good leadership skills, communication skills, a broad range of management experiences, and someone who understands the basics of police work and a vision for where police work is heading.
The city of Durango hired KRW Associates, a head-hunting agency, to conduct a nationwide search for a new chief. City Manager Ron LeBlanc took the 48 applicants and whittled them down to nine, then six, and finally five.
“I’m extremely pleased with the response to the recruitment,” LeBlanc said. “I feel these candidates are all highly qualified, and I’m going to have a difficult decision to find the best one for Durango.”
After Wednesday’s meet-and-greet, the applicants will attend an all-day assessment Thursday, and a private interview with LeBlanc on Friday. He expects to make a final decision by mid-February, with the goal of having someone starting by early April. The Durango City Council must confirm the hire.
“I welcome any input from the community,” LeBlanc said. “I think that would be very helpful for me.”
LeBlanc said he’s encouraged the candidates to stay Friday night and attend the Snowdown Light Parade – just to get a better sense of the community.
“It’s such a unique event. You know, they need to know we’re a little different,” LeBlanc said.
shane@durangoherald.com
